Oakmont Will be a Tough Test

With five weeks remaining before the U.S. Women’s Open on July 8 at Oakmont Country Club, course superintendent John Zimmers said the season’s second major will be a stern test.

Zimmers insisted that the course setup won’t change much from the 2007 men’s Open, a grueling test in which Angel Cabrera survived a final-round challenge from Tiger Woods and Jim Furyk to win by one stroke.

The oft-demanding greens are likely to be slightly slower but still wicked enough to demand respect. The women will play a course that’s more than 600 yards shorter, but the tees won’t be up far enough to take the troublesome bunkers and the harrowing Church Pews out of play.

“What we want to present is the toughest challenge in championship golf,” said Tim Flaherty, managing director for the U.S. Women’s Open. “It’ll be a stern but fair test. The players will have a tough time here.”

Zimmers said there remains work to be done but added that the Open setup is nearly complete.

As Zimmers continues to prep the 6,598-yard, par-71 course for the Open, a number of LPGA players – including Michelle Wie, Se Ri Pak, Morgan Pressel, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis – have tentatively scheduled practice rounds to familiarize themselves with the unpredictable fairways and greens.

“At a course like Oakmont, the more you see it, the better,” Flaherty said. “If they show up here on Monday before the Open begins, they’ve got a steep learning curve.”

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review